Water for domestic use is becoming ever-harder to provide with an expanding population. Over many years dams providing reservoirs and increased drilling for ground water have managed to provide water to an ever growing population in the United States and the industrialized world. Consequently, while shortages occur due to drought and other supply interruption, such shortages have not been too severe.
In coming years however, and currently in dry venues such as Southern California, the supply is already insufficient to meet the growing population of people and the new homes constructed for that increased population. This shortage will only become more acute since building dams and reservoirs has virtually ceased due to environmental concerns. Further exacerbating the shortages is the ongoing drought in the Western States which appears to be cyclical and will as such return again once the current drought abates.
In spite of such shortages, new housing continues to be built for the expanding population. Many homes and businesses such as hotels, are equipped with showers and sinks for use in bathing and hygiene. More showers, sinks, and such, will continue to put additional perpetual strain on the finite water supply available.
Additionally, 14 to 25% of the electric bills are directed to the energy required for water heater heating, and reheating in homes. It takes an average of 20 minutes of energy use from heating or gas to initially raise the temperature of the water in the heater to 140 degrees. Consequently, reducing water usage not only saves the water itself, but also conserves valuable energy resources and resulting energy costs.
Further, statistics show the average person living alone will use approximately 94,000 gallons of water in his home each year. Most of this water is used on showers and in sinks where water constantly runs during use. It is estimated that the employment of the device herein, will save ⅔ of the water previously used, or 62,000 gallons, per person. Multiplying this savings by the millions of people in the United States indicates the potential for a staggering amount of water conservation and concurrent energy conservation with a reduction in the use of energy needed to heat the water contained within hot water heaters.
During normal water usage by individuals there are times when the water is uselessly running down the drain. Such instances occur because by default, once valves for water flow are turned on, water will flow until the valves are closed. This is by design in that persons using a shower in the past, wanted the water to run continuously while bathing.
To that end, for instance during a shower, people will soap up or put shampoo in their hair, and concurrently, step out of the stream of water, which is always on by default, to avoid the flow. Once soap has been spread or shampoo massaged through the hair, most users then step back into the water stream for a short rinse period. With many users, the time out of the stream of water in a shower, will actually be longer than their time within the stream of water.
The same problem of water and energy waste arises with facial washing or tooth brushing at a sink, or while hand-washing dishes. Since water is initially turned on by opening the valves to the spigot or faucet, during the period of time of facial scrubbing, or actual tooth brushing, valuable water continues to run down the drain. With dishes, when rinsing, water from the tap continues to run even when the user is not rinsing. As such, a device which allows for selective cessation of flow by the user, without touching the water spigots, would save large amounts of water and in the case of hot water, would save energy too.
As a consequence of water running from showers and faucets continually by default, a device which allows for the user to cease this water flow, during periods in which they would normally avoid the stream of running water, would eliminate the need to step out, and, save a large portion of the hot and cold water that currently runs right down the drain.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need for a method and apparatus which may be easily employed to minimize water usage in new and old homes to conserve the finite supply so that more people may be serviced. Such a device should be easily engageable to the installed base of showers, faucets and the like. Such a device should be easily employable by users, once water is running, to encourage usage. Such a device, should be easily included in new construction, and should be easy to retrofit into old construction, to thereby save water in the maximum number of homes and businesses.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a device and method for water conservation in homes and businesses.
It is a further object to provide such a device and method that provides for easy remote control for periods of cessation of water flow from a faucet or shower head.
Further, such a device should be easily operated by the user using their hand, elbow, hip, or foot, depending on installation to thereby encourage actual use once installed.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the water conservation device and method of employment herein, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
With respect to the above, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components or steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The various apparatus and methods of the invention are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art once they review this disclosure. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other user employable systems for temporary cessation of flowing water in a shower or sink, and the like, and for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the objects and claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.